Oct 18, 2023 2 min read

Washington County Coroner Timothy Warco will hold an inquest next week into the death of a Coraopolis man who was shot by police in April.

Eduardo Lee Hoover Jr., 38, died April 2 after officers from Smith Township and Mt. Pleasant police departments fired into his vehicle following a pursuit.

The coroner’s office announced in a press release that the inquest will take place at 10 a.m. Oct. 24 in the public meeting room of the Washington County Crossroads Center, 95 W. Beau St., Suite G17. If necessary, the inquest will continue on Oct. 26.

Warco is required by law to investigate a person’s death when it involves law enforcement, according to the release.

The inquest will be used to determine the identity of the person responsible for Hoover’s death, if use of force was justified and if there is any criminal liability.

District Attorney Jason Walsh said in May that the officers’ actions were justified.

At about 5:15 p.m. April 2, police were dispatched to Hoover’s Burgettstown home after a 911 caller reported that he had almost run over two children. Hoover sped off when police arrived and took them on a 10-mile chase that reached Washington, where police were able to block his vehicle.

According to Walsh, Hoover refused to leave his vehicle and rammed a police car, and an officer fired two shots at the engine. Hoover put his vehicle in reverse aimed toward officers, who then fired on him. Hoover was declared dead at the scene.

Walsh said in May that “the officers were left with no alternative.”